Email newsletters: They have a shady past, a bad rep and are easy to get wrong. Which is why so many small business owners overlook them. Overwhelmed and confused about how to apply them to their business.

It’s a tricky subject.

In truth, offering something highly valuable to your website visitors in exchange for their email is one of the smartest marketing moves you can make.

Yes, emphasis on VALUE is the not-so-secret secret that is the difference between attracting a steady stream of customers that can change the fortune of your business, and it being a total waste of time.

Why? Because when it’s good it filters out your prospects from the passers-by. By exchanging their email for your information or free gift, they are saying loud and clear ‘Hi! I’m interested in you. I’d like to know more, please email me!’

This means over time you can develop the relationship, and when they are ready, they are more likely to buy from you than anyone else.

Plus, you, Dear Business Owner, are able to take a more active role in the relationship. Instead of waiting for them to come to you, you can remind them you exist, while developing trust and familiarity where they spend their time – in their inbox.

And, your list of loyal subscribers is YOURS. Not Facebook’s, not Twitter’s or Instagram’s.

So why are they often overlooked as a way to attract new customers?

Firstly, there’s the usual conflicting advice, plus we all have personal views on email privacy, ‘spam’, how often WE want to receive emails, and just how valuable the ‘valuable’ content is in reality.

Then there’s the incessant wrestling with nagging doubts about list size and how important it is to spend hours writing an email when only 10 people will see it.

(10 potential buyers is not something to be sniffed at – imagine standing in front of those 10 people in a room with them hanging on your every word. Does that make it feel more important?)

This is why I love helping my 1:1 clients figure out the best approach so that they can turn that list of subscribers into leads and sales to create healthier profits. Mmmm!

Considering how busy we all are, and the amount of information we are exposed to every day, and the errr….the state of most inboxes, when a prospective customer takes assertive action to say ‘I want to hear from you’ – that’s a big deal.

Not convinced? Here’s a story of something that happened to me recently…

I subscribed to receive email updates from one of my favourite restaurants ever.

Side note: I don’t do this often. I’m very careful about whose updates I personally subscribe to. Usually I do it for research but I can count on one hand the list of regular email updates I look forward to receiving. I imagine you can relate to this?

So, I’m a regular customer at this restaurant. Actually, you could call me a superfan and I recommend them to everyone.

(Except for right now because I’m about to call them out…)

Anyway, I signed up for their updates because, being a customer I WANT TO KNOW about their upcoming events so that I can spend my money with them. Then I can tell my friends about the cool things happening there so that they can go spend money with them, too.

Subscribing to their updates has been on my to-do list for a while and when I eventually got around to it, I felt a mix of excitement and relief. Excited because now I’ll be in the know and relief because I’ve got one less repetitive thought taking up brain space.

Except things didn’t go quite as I expected.

Let’s start with the sign-up experience which was uhmm…disappointing.

No confirmation, no welcome email, nothing that made me feel excited or special or that they even cared that I was there.

Nothing that resonated with the upmarket venue I know and love.

(In fact, I ended up opting in twice because I wasn’t even sure it worked the first time).

Call me fussy but a restaurant where a 2 course lunch for 2 people is upwards of $100, the setting is magical, the staff are attentive, the food is delish, and the cocktails are some of the best I’ve slurped I’d expect a li’l more love. Plus, a sign-up journey to match the brand: exclusive, welcoming and luxe.

What did I actually sign up for?

I let it pass, I mean being an online marketing nerd I sign up for these things just for fun. Maybe, just maybe, most normal people wouldn’t notice, as so many opt-in experiences are rubbish, too.

I figured that, at least now I’ll receive their updates so I can sit back and enjoy them when they arrive.

Only, since that day, they haven’t emailed me once. *sniff*

What’s more, I’ve been hearing about their upcoming events from third party partners on Facebook, and occasional updates on their Facebook Page.

Is that the way to treat someone wanting to spend money with you?

Being a superfan I will probably figure out the latest goings on at the venue anyway – but there are many others who wouldn’t bother.

That equals big wads of cash left on the table by this fancy restaurant.

For the love of G, don’t do this!

I know this isn’t how you want to treat your potential customers, and you wouldn’t do it intentionally. Which makes me a little crazy because with some extra effort you can blow the minds of your subscribers so that they fall in love with you from the start. That’s why I’ve listed some totally actionable steps so that your email marketing doesn’t suck and instead puts lots of money in your pocket.

You’re welcome.

• Get really clear on who your ideal customer is. Knowing this will make creating your value exchange easier for you and invaluable to them. Don’t guess who they are or what you think they will want. If you fudge this, your message will lose power and no one will sign up.

• Think about what free information your can offer your ideal customer - what will they jump at the chance of grabbing? Remember this is an exchange of value: their email address for your ‘something  free + amazing that they need, want or can’t live without’.

• Never ever, ever add anyone to your email list without their permission. It’s an email marketing trick from the murky past that NEEDS TO STAY BURIED THERE.

• When you’ve figured out your content, get clear on your strategy. How often? How big? Plain text or HTML? Plan your topics ahead of time to align with the rest of your marketing, campaigns, launches and events.

• Add your opt-in fields to key places on your website. You need at least one across the top or top right of your web pages as well as at the bottom of your blog posts. Multiple areas work best.

• Get one of these.

• Make your opt in stand out. It MUST grab attention. It’s purpose is to filter out potential new customers – you want them to see it over EVERYTHING else on your website.

• Never, ever, ever call it a NEWSLETTER. I promise you, no one wants them. Call it something interesting that’s loaded with benefits for your ideal customer.

• Whatever your say you’re going to deliver, do it. And do it brilliantly. Treat your subscribers like each one is your most amazing, favourite client of all time.

• Make the sign-up journey an experience to match your brand. It should delight and excite. Test it, ask others to test it, get feedback. How does it makes them feel? What can you do to make it a special and fun experience?

• Let everyone know your opt-in exists. Promotion is everything.

• Understand that as a business, it’s YOUR JOB to find your customers and INFORM them how you can help, serve, delight, inspire, teach them. Don’t leave it for them to find you.

Email marketing is a massive topic. We can talk all day about email headlines, times + dates to send, frequency, etc. However, there’s an art to doing it right so that it attracts regular prospects and clients, while saving you time and overwhelm.

Getting this balance right (it takes time to learn!) has made all the difference to my business and its success, and it’s the knowledge and techniques I’ve learnt that I pass on to my clients for them to achieve better success too.

What part of email marketing feels icky or difficult for you? I want to write more on this topic and want to help! Write me in the comments below.

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